the head of the nsa defends the embattled spy agency, testifying before congress. congressman keith alexander says it helps keep terrorism in check. >> all eyes on kathleen sebelius as she is set to defend the affordable care act in a congressional hearing. >> one year later superstorm sandy is remembered. it was one of the most destructive and costly disasters to hit the united states. >> the ongoing war in syria - children diagnosed with polio because they don't have access to adequate health care and

critical vaccinations. [ ♪ theme ] >> hello, welcome to al jazeera america. no apology nor excuses from the nation's top spy chief. the head of the national security agency denied reports of phone tapping of foreign citizens and told house members the nsa would rather take a beating in the media than give up a program that protects americans from terrorists. >> the national security agency says chiefs did not illegally tapped. they revealed rare details of america's intelligence gathering techniques. >> confident and almost defiant top spy chiefs made no apologies before the house intelligence committee. they defended the job the

agencies do to keep america and her allies safe. >> there's not been a mass casualty in the u.s. since 2001. that's not by luck. they didn't stop hating us. they didn't say that they were going to just forgive this. they continued to try. >> the work of the national security agency is under fire because of revelations by former nsa analyst, edward snowden. documents he leaked showed phone calls of millions of ordinary citizens. testimony of keith alexander and others told the committee the content is secret in a lock box unless there is a link to terrorism. that, they say, is rare. >> it would only be looked at when we had reasonable and articulate suspicion that we had connection to a foreign al qaeda or related terrorist group, and

look into that box. in 2002 we had 288 such selectors that we could go and look into that. that's it. of the billions of records, only 288. >> at the committee hearing there was relatively little discussion about allegations the u.s. spied on america's allies. at the white house it was a hot topic. prote press secretary jay carney said president obama assured angela merkel that there was not and will not be spying on her. >> this is what he said about france and spain. >> i have no information. >> senator dianne fienstein says she does not think it is proper for america to spy on the leaders of allied nation. the white house ordered a top to bottom review of intelligence

gathering. and the germans want to question nsa leaker edward snowden. they want to bring the nsa contractor in to testify at a parliamentary inquiry, after reports that the u.s. spied on 35 countries. edward snowden has kept a low profile since being granted asylum in russia. >> fireworks will occur on capitol hill as health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius goes before a senate kate me to -- senate committee to apologise for the healthcare.gov site. >> at first they blamed high volume. four weeks into launch the official in charge of the website offered this. >> to the millions of americans attempting to use healthcare.gov to enrol in health care

coverage, i want to apologise that the health site has not worked as well as it should. >> the problem with obamacare is not just the website, it's the law. i heard from hundreds of constituents who see premiums rise and policies cancelled. many are losing their plans. >> after a failed strategy to kill the law by shutting the government split the party in two, republicans are unified in attacking problems on the website which, when functioning, will help millions obtain shirns under obamacare. >> i don't think anybody would deny the fact on either side of the political either. these facts are nothing short of a disaster. >> when pressed marilyn tavenner was unable to say how many people got insurance through the website. >> are you getting the numbers? >> am i getting the unless? not

yet. >> you have no numbers of. >> we'll have them available mid-november. >> if you don't have insurance by 31 march, you face a fine. as the problems persist democrats are joining the call to delay the deadline. marilyn tavenner vowed to fix what is wrong. >> i want to assure you healthcare.gov can and will be fixed. we are working around the clock to deliver the shopping experience you deserve. we are seeing improvements each week. by the end of november the experience on the site will be smooth for a majority of use ears. >> kathleen sebelius is expected to blame private contractors for many of the problems behind the healthcare.gov website. in prepared testimony released tuesday, kathleen sebelius says some of the contractors have not met expectations. >> new rocks claim as many as 2 million americans who have -- reports claim as many as

2 million americans who have health insurance will not be able to renew their plans. >> president obama repeatedly said anybody who likes their health care coverage can keep it. the reality is insurance companies are required to make adjustments to comply with the law. hundreds of thousands of consumers in state after state are forced to cancel plans unless they had them prior to march 2010, when the new law was passed. starting next year under the affordable care act, insurance companies must me essential health benefits. 10 must be covered, including doctors visits,: >> any plan that does not include all of these can no longer be offered. insurance companies are sending cancellation letters. the people most affected are

those that buy insurance such as freelancers and independent contractors. in all, 14 million americans by insurance this way. nearly everything else who gets insurance through employers or medicare has a plan that meets the new standards. the irony in all of this is according to the kaiser foundation which has been studying this for years, half the people who get the cancellation notices will pay less than they are paying now for their plans, because of the tax benefits, and cheeper plans available through the new changes. the other half getting cancellation notices will have to pay more for insurance than they pay now. a woman in california is paying $98. the cheapest plan she can find is $238. she and others don't understand why they should be forced to pay for things in their plan that they don't want or need. the white house insists it was

clear that some americans would have to pay more on the front end to bring costs down for everybody over the long end. >> that was david shuster. >> u.n. officials confirmed an outbreak of polio, the first time the disease was seen in a decade. there were 10 confirmed polio cases. 12 are being investigated. most tested are babies and toddlers. the disease will spread among half a million children who have not been vaccinated. members of congress heard from victims of a drone strike of the the pakistani family appeared on capitol hill to talk about the attack that left the family matery ark dead. kimberley halket has the story. >> they travelled from north waziristan to the u.s. congress in washington d.c. the goal - to tell americans

what happened when a u.s. drone targeted a pakistani family. it was a year ago when zubair rehnan was struck by shrapnel. he was gathering vegables to prepare for an east of eid >> translation: i could see the drone hovering, why would i worry, neither my grandmother or i were militants. when it fired, the ground shook. >> shrapnel from the second drone hit nabila, his sister, later. as she ran she heard the grandmother, the village witch doctor screaming. >> no one told me why my mother was targeted. four of my children from injured and four of my brother's children. we had to borrow money and sell lands to pay for the children's medical treatment. there has been no compensation.

the pakistani government accepted my claim, confirmed the details but says it is not responsible, the u.s. is >> the obama administration has never commend on the strike that targeted the rehmans. and the cia never publicly acknowledged the drone program, that's something the democratic members of congress want changed. >> we neat greater transparency and disclosure. we haven't had a full and open debate in the united states congress. >> conagreesman alan greyson, who respond sored the congressional briefing said there were moral questions as to whether a president should have the power to target someone by a u.s. drone. >> i'm uncomfortable with the idea that the president makes the decisions unilaterally. >> of 535 members of the u.s.

congre congress, only 35 showed up to the hearing. it's the first time there has been testimony before the congress. it's hoped it will lead to a process that could lead to changes in u.s. drone policy. >> rafiq ur rehman is optimistic. >> translation: with the grace of god i hope it does. if they have good intention, i put trust in them that the drones will come to an end. >> as a school teacher and father, he has one wish. he wants to see pakistani children grow up with the same sense of security and safety with drones, that americans take for granted. >> and in a report last week, amnesty international countered her as one of 900 killed in drone strikes, a higher number than previously reported. >> a year after the deadly and

destructive hurricane, some are trying to move on still. sandy was the largest storm to build in the atlantic. it was the costliest hurricane in u.s. history, causing $65 billion in damages. a year later many victims are complaining about the slow federal relief process and many others are fighting over insurance claims. >> well, we have a stubborn weather system in play right now. first of all, let nee explain what it is. we have a trough right here. in that trough there's an area of low pressure. that really cann move, and it's bringing a lot of the same conditions in the same area. we have a ridge to the east. that's bringing in warmer temperatures. i'll tell you that in a second. first let's go the north-west and see what is happening. for seattle, it's been nice. you've been on the coast.

we expect to see conditions deteriorating over the next day or so, towards parts of nevada - a mix of rain and snow. snow getting heavier, and on the coast we see freeze warnings across the area. this is what it looks like for you, seattle. we'll see a nice day on wednesday, by the time we get to the weekend it will start to rain. temperatures will be down to 50 degrees. down towards the south-west of arizona, and new mexico, it's the rain. colorado, in the west - that is where you'll see the heavy snow. we expect it see 6-8 inches over the next day. for los angeles, starting out at 69 and temperatures warming up to 76 by the time we get towards saturday. texas - a change in your forecast. a lot of the moisture streaming in towards the central part. that means you are going to see more rain, clouds in your

forecast. your highs not looking too bad, dallas 77. as you can see for dal a the thunder storms get heavy as we go from thursday to friday. the weekend will be beautiful, textures coming down, with a temperature there on saturday of 73. for the south-east conditions deteriorating. the frontal boundary is bringing rain and clouds. >> hundreds taking to the streets, calling for justice over the fatal shooting of a teenager with a toy gunful getting educational bang for your buck. do the college rankings help when it comes to finding the best college for your budget.

san antonio

>> another controversial abortion law could head to the supreme court. oklahoma's high court ruled a state law banning chemically induced abortions it unconstitutional. earlier this year the supreme

court said it would consider the law but sent it to the lower court for further clar itches. >> community outrage after police shoot a teenager carrying is a toy weapon. hundreds marched through the seats of santa rosa, carrying pictures of andy lopez. he was shot seven times by a deputy, smoking a pellet gun for weapon. >> jackson junior is behind bars, serving 2.5 years at a north carolina prison for spending $750,000 in campaign money on luxury items. he tried to check in on sunday but was turned away because of an administrative snaf u. >> with college costs rising parents and students are trying to find a match for education and the bottom line. kilmeny duchardt looks at whether the popular rankings

help or hurt in the search for a school. >> trisha guduru. the daughter of immigrants from india hopes to become a paediatrician. she's a premed major at queens college, who lives at home. her tuition is under $6,000, all heir family can -- her family can afford. >> the college bays large amounts of aid. >> we are getting students, first in the family to go to college or first in this country. without us they wouldn't be able to transcend the particular situation and move up. >> financial planner bob traitz says cost has everything to do with how families pick schools. >> from working class families they select on affordability and geographical convenience as opposed to living on campus. >> with tewition on the rise, families are looking at where

they can get the most bang for the buck. the "washington monthly" produced one of many lists ranking colleges on that. queens college is number two. the study looked at 1500 colleges. queens was one of the best in helping low income students get degrees at affordable prices. >> "washington monthly"'s prices took fact a record for producing cutting edge class. measuring the value of college can lead to different results. other lists have different criteria and the results are not always as positive. >> the salary research firm pay skill looks at return on investment, ranking a college on the value of alumni's earnings and income. the tuition may be higher, so are salaries. tuition and fees at harvey mudd

college is nine times that of queens, it ranks number one, and queens 338. >> as far as the lists are concerned. the students are not using them and the decision-making process. i believe that the lists and the rankings serve to show students have made the right decision. >> it's a way for schools to tout their name. >> each of the rankings contributes in many ways to what a good education is. princeton review ranks high on class and race interaction. given we live in the burr og of queens, we want that. >> school rankings may not be the most accurate consumer tool, but parents and students look at them. >> the majority of americans believe a college degree is important, but they want to pay less for an education.

>> u.s. stocks climbed higher on tuesday with the dow and the s&p setting record-closing highs. the do you jumped 111 points and the s&p had a 10 point game. a stock buy-back from ibm helped to fuel momentum. >> stocks dropped after consumer confidence plunged. a result over raising the limits and the government shutdown were the main factors. au auto sales dropped. >> waument will -- wall street will watch the federal reserve on whether to make changes to the bond-buying stimulus policy.

>> a tribute to john f kennedy returns to its proper place after restoration. and a new tunnel connecting europe and asia opens, after a decade in the making. how it's providing relief to drivers in that region.

congressman tom foley was a veteran of countless battles on capitol hill in the late "80, and "90s. he was remembered in a memorial service. he served 30 years in congress and was speaking from 1989 to 1985. he served as the u.s. ambassador to japan. president obama and former president clinton attended the memorial. the eternal flame is burning at the grave site of president john f kennedy. a temporary flame was visible at

arlington national cemetary during a 6-month restoration project. repairs began to restore the burner, which was in use for more than four decades. the flame serves as a memorial to the 35th president who died 50 years ago next month. >> for the first time there's a tunnel connecting europe and asia. the $4.5 billion tunnel in turkey, known as the marmaray is buried 200 feet below sea level. as omar al saleh tells u it's hailed as a marvel of modern engineering. >> the marmaray project is a 150-year-old ottoman dream that became a reality. a turkish-japanese consortium took on the task of submerging and anchoring the tunnel to the bosphorous riverbed. work started in 2004. it was stopped many times because of archeological

findings. the new network is more than 60 k/hr, and has a capacity of more than 1 million passengers a day. the most important part of the project is the undersea tunnel - connecting asia, where i am, with europe. the ride between the two stations on the two sides is four minutes. >> the tunnel runs under the bosphorous connecting the black sea. the tunnel is 13.6km long, including an under way stretch of 1.4km. the tunnel cost more than $4 billion to build. and the turkish government says that is money well spent. >> translation: marmaray is not only joining two continents, it's making dreams of more than 50 years come true. it's linking history with today

and today to the future. marmaray is giving confidence to the nation, and giving the nation faith. it shows what we can do when we believe in ourselves. >> driving across istanbul is never easy. crossing the bridge over the bosphorous takes hours. >> translation: our commute to the other side will be easier, especially in the morning rush hour. >> it will relieve the traffic by 5%. >> there are at least 14 million people living in istanbul. the government hopes the new train will ease traffic congestion by 20%. tuesday is also the 90th anniversary for the founding of the tush rish republic. the government called it a day of unity, national pride and celebration. once the party is over, the people of istanbul hope getting around will be a little easier.

>> construction of the tunnel started almost a decade ago. it was delayed after a series of major archeological discoveries, including the largest fleet of medievalships that was ever found. here are the top stories we'll follow, health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius will be an capitol hill testifying about the launch of healthcare.gov, the website for the affordable care act. lawmakers are call for kathleen sebelius to resign. marilyn tavenner apologised for the problems. >> mass eavesdropping on france and spain are not true. keith alexander told a house intelligence committee that his intelligence teams operate under strict oversight. and he would rather take a public media beating than allow terrorists into the country. that'll do it for this edation of al jazeera america. "the stream" is next. news on the top of the hour and

log on to the website for the latest news. it's aljazeera.com. thanks for watching. you are in the stream. it's designed to help, but many say foster care needs an overhaul. the real lives of foster parents, foster children and the system that may be failing. could you take in a child and offer care at one of the most vulnerable points in their lives? >> well, we got interested in foster care kind of by accident way back in probably 15 years ago. there was a girl, a local girl stay.